Japanese Patent Application No. JP 10-180474A discloses a punching machine, in which processing products are removed from the processing area of a punching tool by a pivotable discharge flap. The discharge flap has a support brush having a plurality of bundles of bristles acting as a part support. The bristles of each bristle bundle are surrounded by a shaft-like holder at the ends thereof remote from the processing products to be discharged. The shaft-like holders are themselves arranged for pivoting about a horizontal axis. A pivoting mechanism which acts on the shaft-like holders of the bristle bundles ensures that the shaft-like holders and the bristle bundles of the support brush therewith are pivoted in a discharge direction about the horizontal axis of the shaft-like holders as soon as the discharge flap pivots downwards into the discharge position from the horizontal. The processed products to be discharged move on the inclined bristle bundles in a discharge direction. The inclination of the bristle bundles on the discharge flap is intended to ensure that the relevant processing products are discharged in a process-reliable manner.